Avalon Engineered Hardwood starts at $8.99 per square foot installed in Fort Myers — a wide-plank hickory floor in warm beige tones from LW Flooring’s Odyssey collection. At nearly 8 inches wide and almost 5 feet long per plank, it reads as a substantial, furniture-grade floor. The embossed-in-register texture follows the actual grain pattern, so it looks and feels like real wood rather than a printed surface.
Hickory is one of the harder domestic species, and this 12mm construction with an AC4 wear layer holds up well in active households — kids, dogs, furniture legs, and the foot traffic that comes with entertaining. The aluminum oxide finish adds surface hardness where daily scuffing typically shows first.
In Southwest Florida, engineered hardwood is the smarter call over solid wood. The cross-ply core handles the humidity swings between rainy season and heavily air-conditioned interiors without the cupping that solid planks are prone to over concrete slabs. For snowbird households that sit vacant during summer, the dimensional stability is particularly important.
| Plank Width | 7-2/3″ |
|---|---|
| Plank Length | 59-3/4″ |
| Thickness | 12mm |
| Wear Layer | Melamine – AC4 |
| Finish | Aluminum Oxide |
| Species | Hickory |
Flooring Queen installs Avalon Engineered Hardwood at $8.99 per square foot, and that price covers the full scope of a standard job: delivery to your home, removal and disposal of the existing floor covering, subfloor preparation within normal tolerances, the click-lock installation itself, new baseboards, and any transition strips needed between rooms.
Some conditions add cost — significant subfloor leveling beyond routine prep, stair nosing, or detailed pattern work will be quoted as line items. The best way to get a firm number is to schedule a free in-home measurement. We’ll walk the space, confirm subfloor conditions, and produce a written quote before any work is scheduled.
Avalon and solid hickory hardwood look nearly identical once installed, but they behave differently in a Florida home. Engineered hardwood’s layered core resists the moisture-driven expansion and contraction that causes solid planks to cup, gap, or buckle — a real concern over concrete slabs or in rooms that shift between high humidity and air conditioning. Solid hardwood, however, can typically be sanded and refinished more times over its life, which matters if you want to change the stain color decades from now.
Avalon carries a lifetime residential warranty, which is competitive with solid hardwood on paper. The practical edge goes to engineered in this climate. Solid hardwood wins only if on-grade subfloor conditions are ideal and multiple future refinishes are a priority.
| Avalon | Solid Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistance | Moderate — handles humidity well | Low — prone to cupping over slabs |
| Scratch resistance / wear layer | AC4 melamine, aluminum oxide finish | Varies by species and finish coat |
| Comfort underfoot | Warm, solid feel at 12mm | Warm, solid feel — similar |
| Installed price | $8.99/sq ft installed | Typically $10–$14/sq ft installed |
| Best room | Main living areas, bedrooms, above slab | Above-grade rooms, stable humidity only |
Sweep or vacuum on the hard-floor setting — beater bars can scratch the finish over time, so turn that off. For damp mopping, use a well-wrung mop and a hardwood-specific cleaner like Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner; avoid soaking the floor or using steam mops, which can force moisture into the seams and compromise the core. Stay away from oil-soap cleaners or anything acidic, as they can dull the aluminum oxide finish. Wipe up spills promptly, especially near seams, to keep water from working into the click joints. Felt pads under furniture legs prevent the surface scratching that shows first in high-traffic paths. For technical guidance, see the National Wood Flooring Association consumer hardwood information.
Engineered hardwood should acclimate inside your home for at least 48 to 72 hours before installation. In Southwest Florida, where interior humidity can swing significantly between seasons and heavy AC use, giving the planks time to stabilize in your actual living conditions helps prevent gaps or slight buckling after the floor goes down.
Avalon’s wear layer is a melamine AC4 surface rather than a thick veneer, which limits refinishing options compared to a traditional hardwood. Light screening may be possible depending on the wear layer depth, but it’s not designed for multiple full sand-and-stain cycles the way solid wood or thicker-veneer engineered products are.
A single room typically takes one day once the floor has acclimated. A full home installation generally runs two to four days depending on square footage, room count, and any subfloor work needed. The click-lock system installs efficiently, but we’ll confirm a specific timeline after the in-home measure when we can assess the actual conditions.
In many cases, Avalon’s click-lock system can float over an existing hard surface like tile or vinyl as long as it’s firmly bonded, level within manufacturer tolerances, and not adding problematic height at transitions. We check for lippage and height differences during the site visit — some floors do need to come up first.
LW Flooring backs Avalon with a lifetime residential warranty and a 15-year light commercial warranty. Manufacturer warranties typically cover manufacturing defects and finish performance under normal use conditions. They don’t cover damage from flooding, improper installation, or failure to follow care guidelines — so keeping records of your installation and maintenance is worthwhile.
Avalon works well in main living areas, dining rooms, bedrooms, and hallways — anywhere above a concrete slab or wood subfloor at or above grade. Skip it in full bathrooms or laundry rooms where standing water is likely. Basements below grade are also a poor fit given Florida’s water table, though that’s rarely a concern in this region.
Engineered hardwood is the only wood we recommend over SWFL slabs, and we install it every week. Our team handles substrate moisture testing, layout, install, and trim from one source. Written installed quote: (239) 763-0770.
Continue exploring:
Considering a different material?
Reviewed by Jack Maya, Lead Installer at Flooring Queen — 20+ years installing flooring in Southwest Florida.
Let’s Discuss Your Flooring Project Today
